Melbourne’s crucial Super Rugby clash with the Waratahs will double as a Wallabies audition, with NSW star Kurtley Beale challenging Rebels skipper Dane Haylett-Petty for the vacant fullback jersey.

Friday’s AAMI Park match is key to the Super Rugby finals hopes of both teams, with the Rebels a point behind the conference-leading Brumbies and the Waratahs’ chances hanging by a thread.

There’s also plenty at stake on an individual level, with Beale and Haylett-Petty the leading contenders to fill the vacancy left by the axing of Israel Folau.

Beale said the No.15 jersey was his World Cup preference.

“I’m really enjoying fullback at the moment,” Beale said on Thursday at the launch of the Wallabies alternate World Cup strip, an indigenous jersey.

“Dane has been playing really well all year and is always solid and consistent, and no doubt he will be putting his best foot forward for the Rebels.”

Beale said he wouldn’t make the match a personal battle with so much on the line for NSW, who are eight points off the pace with three games to play.

“We know it’s going to be a big challenge for us and we’ve got three big games ahead for finals hopes and we’ll be doing everything we can to get the right result,” Beale said.

Rebels halfback Will Genia said his team were delighted with their record last-up win over the Sunwolves but were on guard for the Waratahs, who have beaten them in five successive matches and 14 of 16 meetings overall.

In the past three of those games, Melbourne have been on top but allowed the Waratahs back into the match.

“We’ve gone into halftime with quite a handy lead and they’ve come out and adapted really well to the situation and played some good rugby in the second half and we haven’t adapted,” Genia said.

“We’ve got to make sure that when they get momentum, we understand how to wrestle that back.”

Genia looked in doubt for the match after being knocked out by a stray boot during the Sunwolves win.

Despite the knock, he said he clearly remembered the Tokyo game and liked what he saw in the 52-7 scoreline.

“What I really enjoyed was that we stuck to the way we wanted to play the game,” Genia said.

“We were really disciplined in our approach and then opened the game up in the second half and it’s a confidence boost to score that many points in an away game.”